Two Sides of a Coin and Halves of a Soul
by twilightfan22494
Summary: Fauna arrives in Camelot in search of her destiny. A destiny that is entwined with the one the druids call Emrys. While following her destiny and making sure she doesn't reveal her magic, along the way she meets Merlin. Being attracted to Merlin and knowing it could never be, Fauna faces difficult challenges that affect her destiny, Emrys's destiny and the fate of Albion.
1. Arriving at Camelot

**Hey Everyone! So I have recently started watching Merlin (I'm on season 5 now) and I have fallen in love with it. So as I was watching it, I started thinking and hence this story came out. Many of you may ask why now? Why add a new story when I still haven't finished writing my other stories. There is a simple explanation. Well technically two. First, I'm in college I have almost no time between my work and studying for my classes. Two, I have extreme writers block. I WILL Continue them. I promise. I just have to find time. Probably over winter break. Anyway here is the new story. Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER:**

**I own nothing. I am not that great of a screenwriter yet. I haven't written anything amazing as the writers for BBC/Merlin have. The characters etc belong to them. **

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><p>The streets of Camelot were filled with life. Children ran playing and laughing while mothers watched doing their daily errands. Men worked towards earning a wage to help support their families. The merchants were trying to convince the people to buy their wares. People of all kinds of classes on the street and interacting with on another gave the city liveliness. To anyone this would be an example of a perfect kingdom. But for a girl like Fauna, knowing who and what she was, the city consumed her with both excitement and nervousness.<p>

Fauna wasn't like everyone else. Since she was little, she knew she was different from all the other children.

This was why she walked staring at the ground below her, trying not attract attention to herself. Keeping her head covered by a cloak, she carefully made her way towards the home that her late mother had purchased for this point in her life.

The home was old and a bit run down, but considering her needs it was the perfect place to reside. It was that then standing in front of her new home that she finally let down the hood covering her face revealing the soft dark brown hair and dark green eyes that mesmerized everyone that met her. Were it not for her beauty and for her strange eyes – as they held a slight tint of gold - she might have been able to fit in. But as her beauty was part of who she was, once again like in many cities before Camelot, she began to hear the whispers from the people who might condone her to death would they have known the truth.

Fauna looked towards them trying to control the feelings of embarrassment and loneliness as she watched the neighbors begin to gossip about her beginnings. Curiously, they watched her with judgment in their tones as they spoke about her as if she was invisible.

Who do you think she is?

Is she without a husband?

Where do you think she comes from?

The questions would go on but many of them would never be answered. Fauna was never one to get close to the people where she lived. She preferred to live away from the people who could harm her were they to know her secret. Occasionally, she would make a friend but that was rare. In other cities people saw her as an intruder and they were willing to tear her down before anyone became her friend. Sadly, she smiled towards them knowing that this was the cycle of her life. Without further delay she entered the home trying to leave the whispers of the city behind.

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><p><strong>So what do you think? Review? <strong>


	2. First Sight

**So here is the new chapter. I took a break from studying and wrote this. Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER:  
>I don't own anything. I don't own and will never own (sadly) BBCMerlin. **

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><p>Closing the door behind her, Fauna coughed as the dust invaded her nose. She quickly opened a window allowing light and fresh air into her new home. She glanced around at the house and assessed the damage.<p>

The house hadn't been taken care of in years, it was filled with dust and the wood was worn down. She sighed and took off her cloak. Finding the one place that seemed cleaner than the rest, she placed it on a rickety old chair and got to work cleaning the house from top to bottom. As she swept the floor, she sighed and thought of how much faster she would have finished had she used the one thing that she knew she had to keep hidden: her magic.

Fauna was born with magic. Her power was slowly growing in strength due to all the practice and studying she had done as a child under the care of her mother. Once her mother had died, it was up to her to keep practicing and improving her skills. Her magic had reached the point where she had become the most powerful sorceress in the land. Her power equaled that of Emrys, the most powerful warlock in the land. At the thought of the name, she instantly remembered the prophecy destined between the two of them. Fauna instantly shook the thoughts from her head and got back to work.

After cleaning her new bedroom, washing the dishes, and chasing out a few rats, her new home was finally in livable conditions. Seeing that the inside was in better conditions than before, Fauna set to work on the exterior of her home. She went out in front of her home and began moving the piles of trash that had accumulated. She moved it all aside and was sweeping dust away from her home when she heard the clicking of horse hooves.

Fauna looked up to see a parade of horses heading from the castle to the outskirts of the town. She stood and watched with all the others on the street as banners carrying the Pendragon seal and knights covered in armor came down the street. At the head of the party, was a blonde haired man, who from the way he looked and presented himself, one could tell that he was of royalty. As she wondered whether this man was the prince, her thoughts were confirmed by the people cheering "Prince Arthur" and "Long live Prince Arthur." Prince Arthur rode gallantly waving and smiling at the peasants. As Fauna looked at the rest of the party, a young man riding behind the crowned prince caught her attention.

He had hair as black as night with bright blue eyes. He was wearing a brown jacket and a red neckerchief tied around his neck. He was smiling as he looked upon all the people claiming loyalty to the Pendragon clan. As he looked at the villagers, the man glanced at Fauna and smiled when she in returned smiled and waved with the rest of the villagers. The man kept glancing at her distracted by her beauty as the party rode on. It wasn't till Fauna was far behind that the man turned back to face the crowned prince. At that moment, Prince Arthur smirked as he saw his manservant distracted by a young woman.

"Someone catch your eye Merlin," he smirked. The young black-haired man, Merlin, rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Shut up prat," Merlin said.

Arthur laughed.

Meanwhile, as the party rode off into another part of the town, the villagers resumed their daily activities. Having finished cleaning her home, Fauna hurried to the market to get food with which to fill the cupboards. Leaving the broom near her door and grabbing her cloak and basket, she walked to the marketplace that she first saw when she arrived at Camelot.

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><p><strong>Review?<strong>


	3. Merlin

**Alright. So as I promised, here is the next chapter. I'm currently on Winter Break so while I may have homework (Writing a piece for a Fiction Workshop) I will be writing this in between working on that and other stuff. I have the next chapter already written, I just have to edit it. It will probably be posted tomorrow but still debating with myself. Happy Holdiays and enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER:  
>Not British nor as experieinced in screenwriting as BBC's Merlin Screenwriters. Hence I do not own any of the characters besides Fauna. She's my creation. <strong>

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><p>Fauna was able to purchase everything that she needed for a lovely welcoming dinner. As she walked back to her new home, she thought of her next step: finding work. She was in desperate need of work. The money that her mother had left her could only go so far living in Camelot. When it was just her and her mother, they relied on their magic but once her mother had died things changed. Fauna realized how dangerous it was to have those magical abilities and had decided that it was time for her to join the people in order to avoid suspicion. That was how she was first led to Camelot. What a better place to hide from those that would execute her than at the heart of where magic was despised? They would never think of looking for her there.<p>

Suddenly, she was disturbed from her thoughts when she heard sounds of galloping horses. She looked around and noticed that one of the horses from the royal party had gotten spooked and was now heading in her direction. Quickly, she moved aside but it was just her luck that at that moment a child was trying cross to the other side to reach their mother. The mother screamed noticing that the child would be trampled by the horse. Fauna seeing the event unfold in front of her eyes, she just couldn't stand there. She jumped into the path of the horse and grabbed the child. Quickly, she used her magic to deter the horse from his path. Her aim was right and barrels holding grain fell onto the street effectively stopping the horse. Fauna breathed a sigh of relief and gently helped the young child under her stand up. She led him to his tearful mother.

"Mama!" cried the child. The mother instantly grabbed the child hugging him closely to her body. The fear completely overwhelmed her as tears ran down her face, she turned to Fauna.

"Thank you! Thank you for saving him!" she thanked. Fauna smiled softly.

"It's no problem," she said. Fauna dusted off her dress and went to the horse that was neighing having nowhere else to go. As she approached it, Fauna could sense that he was still terrified. As she slowly neared him, she maintained eye contact with the creature. He slowly calmed down until all she heard was a soft neigh. She gently placed her hand on the creature running her hand through its soft mane. He continued to allow her to pet him when she looked behind the horse to see the black haired boy that she had seen earlier was running towards her.

"Was anyone hurt?" he asked breathlessly as he came to a halt.

"Thankfully, no," Fauna said motioning to the child and his mother walking away from the scene.

The boy looked at her as she continued running her hand through the horse's mane.

"I can't believe that he's actually allowing you to pet him. When I usually-" he's cut off as his hand, which was trying to repeat the same movements as Fauna's, caused the horse to move from him with anger. Fauna laughed lightly.

"There there calm down. He isn't going to hurt you," Fauna said to the creature. Sensing the truth in her words the horse began to near the boy. Fauna gently grabbed the boy's hand and when she did she felt a small shiver run down the back of her spine. She felt a completeness that she hadn't felt for a long time. Curiously, she looked at the boy wondering who he was to make her react in this way but she was brought back to reality by the horse's soft neighing. The horse had inched closer to their hands allowing them to fully feel the softness of its mane. Gently, Fauna helped the boy run his hand through the horse's soft brown mane.

The boy looked at her in shock, completely taken aback that the horse that despised him the most was allowing him to pet it. Surprised, the boy glanced at the girl wondering how she was able to do that. As he looked at the girl, he noticed how beautiful she was. He couldn't help but be mesmerized by her eyes. He had never seen eyes as bright as hers. The girl turned and smiled at him and he couldn't help but smile back. Their gaze broke as they heard the pounding of a hooves.

Quickly, Fauna dropped the boy's hand and the feeling of completeness was gone. She was surprised to see the prince galloping towards the pair.

"Having trouble Merlin?" he asked the boy.

The boy, who Fauna assumed his name was Merlin, replied, "I'm fine, sire."

"Are you sure because it looks like you are having trouble considering you haven't gotten back on the horse yet. What afraid of falling off again?" Merlin glared at the prince.

"Not afraid of falling off. I'm afraid of being pushed off again by a dollophead." Fauna looked at Merlin wide eyed. She didn't understand why he was talking to the prince in such a manner.

"I didn't push you."

"Yeah. So putting a hand on my shoulder and gently nudging me is not pushing me off?"

"Enough of this. Hurry up. We need to finish our rounds through the town before it gets dark." Merlin sighed.

"Yes sire," Arthur rode away leaving Merlin and Fauna standing there with the horse. Fauna took the reins and handed them to Merlin.

"What did you do to get him so angry?" she asked.

"Who Arthur or the horse?" Merlin said. Fauna shook her head at his words.

"The horse. I'm sensing a lot of resentment coming off of him towards you." Fauna said gently patting the creature.

"Me nothing. It was clotpole over there." Fauna raised an eyebrow at the word.

"Clotpole?" she asked.

"Sorry, I meant Prince Arthur." he said. Fauna laughs softly as his response.

"I'm sure there is a story behind that but unfortunately its getting late. I must be going," Fauna said moving away from the horse. The horse neighed and inched towards her protesting her leaving. Fauna gently pat him calming him once again before gathering the items that fell out of her basket.

Once she made sure she had everything, she began walking away when she heard the boy yelling "Miss. Excuse me. Miss." She looked behind her and saw as Merlin came to a running stop in front of her.

"Sorry completely forgot to introduce myself," he said, "I'm Merlin."

He held out his hand. Fauna took it once again getting that feeling of completeness.

"Fauna," she said softly.

"It was nice meeting you," he said.

Fauna smiled. "Likewise. Hopefully we meet again when the horse doesn't resent you as much."

"Doubt it," he said glancing at the horse. Fauna laughed.

At that moment they heard a loud person yelling "Merlin!"

"Well until next time." Fauna smiled. Once again she turned back heading towards her home. As she walked away she felt someone's gaze on her. She looked back to see Merlin and Arthur standing with the horse. Arthur was yelling at Merlin to hurry while Merlin ignored him staring in her direction. Seeing her looking back at him, Merlin waved. That brought a lovely pink blush to her cheeks. Shyly, she waved back before quickly hurrying home.

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><p><strong>So what did you think? Leave a review. All the feedback helps. <strong>


	4. Reactions

**Wow! Two updates in a week. Once I return back to school I'll try to update at least once a week. Considering the amount of work and my classes I can't promise anything but I'll try my best. Alright so here is the next chapter. Enjoy and in case I don't update till next week HAPPY NEW YEAR! **

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><p>When she got home, she couldn't stop thinking about the feeling that she felt when she held Merlin's hand. Fauna had never felt anything like it. She contemplated whether her reaction had something to do with her magic. Could it be acting up? While she knew that wasn't possible, that was the first thought that came to mind. Fauna had complete control over her magic. She had practiced for years to learn how to control it. If that wasn't it, what could have possibly given her that shiver? Suddenly a thought that she had placed in the back of her mind, she believed she would never have to worry about it came to light.<p>

Could she possibly have a crush on the boy?

The thought surprised her. She couldn't no…it couldn't be. Shocked, she searched for answers in logistics. How could she have a crush on a boy she just met? She hardly knew him. Yet, when she thought about the boy and the way that his hand had felt in hers, it felt like she had known him for a lifetime. And she found him attractive with his black hair and deep beautiful blue eyes. Once again she caught herself. Beautiful blue eyes? What was she thinking? What was wrong with her? This couldn't be happening to her. She had sworn off men since the day that she found out that it was prophesied that she would only marry one man.

And that man's name was Emrys.

It was prophesied that Fauna wouldn't meet Emrys till she was at the brink of death.

When she had first heard of the prophesy between the two of them, she was 13. At that age, Fauna and her mother lived on the outskirts of a village. It was one day, as she was gathering herbs for her mother, that she met Christopher. Upon meeting him, they instantly became friends. They played games in the forest and talked about everything they could possibly think of. Fauna became infatuated with the boy, she came to care for the boy more than an average friend.

When Fauna told her mother of the boy, for a brief moment she saw sadness in her mother's eyes. Upon finishing telling her mother about this boy that had captured her attention, Fauna's mother sat her down and told her of the prophesy. Her mother had reasoned with herself that now was the time to tell Fauna before her feelings for the boy developed more. She had also considered it better to warn Fauna of what was to come in order to keep her protected from those that would have no good intentions towards her and to make her aware of her possible incoming death. Her mother wanted her to be alert and focused at a moments notice incase anger arose.

At hearing her future, Fauna's emotions ran haywire causing her magic to act out. She had made a mess of the house trying to accept that her fate had already been decided. She wouldn't fall in love like any other regular girl, she was already engaged without ever having met the man.

At first Fauna was adamant about the prophesy. In wanting to prove the prophesy wrong, she tried to fill her time with Christopher. She tried every possible thing she could think of in order to make herself fall in love with him. Unfortunately, it only kept her thinking of the man that she was betrothed to. In addition to the fact that she was to marry him, the prophesy also foretold how with her help he would make Albion a reality. Once realizing that if her fate helped the creation of a world in which magical and non-magical creatures could live together, she began to interact with Christopher less and less until the friendship had completely disbanded.

Knowing that there was only one whom she could marry and knowing how she would meet him, Fauna never looked at any man for more than one glance. She was waiting to meet her husband to be. That is why her sudden attraction to Merlin caught her off guard.

At the thought of her fate, Fauna shook her head and sighed, hoping that her feelings would pass.

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><p><strong>So what do you guys think? I know its going a little slow but I promise it will soon start speeding up. <strong>


	5. The Castle

**Wow. Okay three in a row. Cool! Alright so here is the next chapter. So I decided that this story takes place in season 1. Hopefully you will all undertand where I place this story. I wonder who can guess correctly where I chose to begin the story. But anyways incase I don't update till next week, HAPPY NEW YEAR! Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything BBC Merlin related. Wish I could say I did. Unfortunately, I don't write for them nor do I know them. Everything is theirs except for Fauna. She's mine.**

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><p>The following morning Fauna went through town trying to find work. Having visited all the stands in town, she was disappointed to see that no one had any positions open. Fauna sighed frustrated as she walked to the one place she knew would have openings: the castle. While she was hesitant at first about working right under the Uther's nose, she needed the money. She knew that the money her mother left her wouldn't last much longer. No matter what the risks she needed the work.<p>

She walked up and politely asked the knights that were in the courtyard whom she could talk to in order to get a job at the castle. They in turn referred her to one of the head maids, Martha. After hearing Fauna's story, she was given a position as a maid. Instantly, she was set to clean the guest quarters and be their maids during their stay in Camelot.

As Fauna headed to the chambers, she kept getting a feeling that something was pulling her. As she turned a corner, she gasped in shock as she ran into someone holding a pile of clothing. The clothes fell out of the person's grasp.

"I'm so sorry," Fauna said instantly bending down to the floor and gathering the clothing. She was surprised as the person knelt down and gently took a hold of her hand. She looked up to once again see those piercing blue eyes staring at her with shinning with amusement. Fauna felt her face flush.

"Its fine," Merlin said, "I got it."

She blushed. "Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Positive."

She handed him the shirt and robes that she gathered and stood up. Once Merlin made sure that he had all of Arthur's dirty clothing, he stood up. Fauna watched as he struggled with the weight of the items.

"Please let me help you," she said holding out her hands for the clothing. Merlin hesitated but as he looked at Fauna he seemed to change his mind.

"Only if you tell me what you are doing here?" he said handing her a pile of clothes. She smiled and nodded.

"This way." Merlin said motioning for Fauna to follow him. As they head down the corridor, he glanced at Fauna curiously.

"So are you going to answer my question or not?" he asked. She smiled at him slyly.

"About that. Why should I? How do I know that you're not stalking me? For all I know you could be following me." she smirked.

Merlin laughed. "Well considering the fact that I work here and practically live here, I would say that you are the one following me."

Fauna shook her head. "Nope don't flatter yourself," she said. "I have just moved to Camelot and was in need of a job. So hence here I am."

"Really? So did I."

Fauna looked at him surprised. "You're joking."

"Not joking. Got here a few days ago."

"Well at least I'm not the only new person here."

"Why did you move here?" Merlin asked.

"Well I wanted a fresh start and Camelot seemed like the best place for that." Fauna said as she thought to herself about her destiny.

Merlin looked at her surprised. How was it possible that this girl had come Camelot for the same reason he did. Once the shock wore off, he spoke.

"Then welcome to Camelot." He said, "I hope you like it here."

Fauna smiled shyly and blushed as he said those words. At that moment, her mouth seemed to have a mind of its own as she softly said "I think I will." At the words, Merlin smiled and a light hue of pink colored his cheeks. While part of her was grinning at his response the other half of her was telling her that it wasn't right to string him along.

Upon reaching their destination, she handed him the clothes.

"I must be going before Martha from the kitchens hears that I haven't reached the chambers. She'll kill me if I don't finish cleaning them today with the tournament tomorrow," she said slowly stepping away. He nodded.

"I understand. Good luck." He said.

"Thanks you too." Fauna said walking towards her assigned chambers. Once again she felt his stare on her back but this time resisted looking in his direction.

While her mind was filled with questions, Fauna set to work cleaning and dusting the chambers. After hours of sweeping, polishing, and making beds, she was exhausted as she finished placing the last pillow on the bed. Upon finishing, she locked the chambers and made her way to the kitchens. Once she gave the tired Martha the keys to the chambers, Fauna was allowed to head home.

As she walked down the corridor, on her way out of the castle, Fauna instantly stopped in place when she heard her name. She felt her nerves rise as she turned towards the voice.

No one. The room was empty, she was alone.

I'm just imagining it, she thought trying to calm herself.

Then she heard it again.

This time there was no mistaking it. Someone was calling her.

Instantly, she felt herself go weak at the knees. It was impossible.

Someone knew her name, not her normal name but the one that the druids called her. The name that coincided with the prophesy: Aislinn.

Again, she heard it.

_Aislinn, _a voice called_._

Fauna looked down a corridor and while her instincts told her to run, she couldn't. Someone knew her name and she needed to find out who.

She followed the voice deeper and deeper into the castle. The closer she got the louder the voice became. As she walked down a long dark tunnel, it was then that she realized that she was being led to the dungeons.

About to open the door, she stopped when she heard footsteps. Knowing that she wasn't supposed to be there, she instantly hid behind drape hanging from the wall. She held her breath and waited until the footsteps passed. Once they did, she looked out to see Merlin walking back to his chambers.

Upon seeing him, Fauna raised an eyebrow. What was Merlin doing out this time of night near the dungeons?

Quietly, she walked towards the door heading to the dungeon. With as much quietness she could muster, she opened the door making sure Merlin wasn't returning. Once she got the door completely open, she heard the voice again.

_Aislinn_ the voice called.

She followed the voice through a corridor to cracked and darkened stairs. Carefully, Fauna took a torch from a wall near her and let it light her way. Making sure she wouldn't fall, she made her way down the stairs which then opened up into a vast cave.

"Hello?" she called, her voice echoing off the walls.

"Hello?" she repeated. The cave then shook so violently that Fauna had to clutch the wall for support. After the shake settled, she let go of the wall hearing only silence. She looked around trying to see if there was anything hiding in the rocks, she saw nothing. Yet, she once again heard _Aislinn_.

"Who are you?" Fauna asked. All she heard was some quiet laughter and flapping of wings. Then once again all stood still. She waited to see if she could spot from which direction the voice was calling her, but to no avail. Exhausted from work, Fauna left deciding to visit the cave in the future. There was something there that knew her name and she needed to find out what it was.

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><p><strong>So what do you think? Leave a review! <strong>


	6. Valiant Part 1

**Whoo! Four in a row! This is seriously an accomplishment for me. Here is the next chapter. As I am going to start including episodes I have decided I am going to split them up in three parts. The chapters are going to stick as close as possible to the episodes with some of the dialogue included. The story will begin changing more and more from the episodes as the story goes on. **

**DISCLAIMER:**

**I don't screenwrite for BBC's Merlin. I seriously wish I did. Or at least had an internship with them. These characters do not in anyway belong to me. If they did I probably wouldn't have student loans. And the ideas (except for the occasional twists and changes that have to do with Fauna) are not mine. The chapters are based off the episodes as a result will include dialogue from the show. **

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><p>The following morning Fauna arrived to an interesting scene. The maids were rushing around getting everything ready for the tournament at midday. Fauna was pulled from her regular duties to help clean the castle from top to bottom.<p>

Carrying two buckets of water in her hands, Fauna struggled to go up the stairs. Halfway up the staircase her hands gave out making her drop the buckets. She gasped as the water instantly splashed around her.

"Oh no. No. No." she muttered to herself. As she looked at the mess, she knew she'd have to clean it up before Martha came to check on her. She groaned as she tried to think of a way to clean up the giant puddles of water. The easiest, yet most dangerous, way was to use her magic but considering where she was she would have to make do with rags. She sighed as she grabbed the bottom of her dress trying to save it from getting soaked further. Upon reaching the bottom of the steps, she bent down to retrieve a bucket when Merlin called her name.

Having been on his way to his chambers to pick up Arthur's armor he saw as the buckets fell down the stairs, water going everywhere. He was surprised to see Fauna muttering, assessing the mess. As he saw her bend down retrieve one, he called her name.

"Fauna" Merlin called. At the sound of his voice, Fauna jumped in surprise and ended up slipping on the water and almost falling down the stairs. Luckily, Merlin was able to reach her in time to catch her but as he did his foot hit a bucket making them fall to the floor. Merlin groaned in pain as Fauna landed on top of him.

Instantly, she stood up and looked for injuries.

"Oh god, Merlin, I am so sorry. I was startled," she apologized. Merlin winced as he stood up slowly trying not to slip again.

"Are you okay?" Fauna asked helping him up.

Merlin nodded once he was upright.

"Yeah I'm fine. Nothing broken," he said stretching. He patted his back and groaned upon realizing that his whole backside was wet.

"Just need to go change now," he said. Fauna looked at him with sympathy.

"I'm sorry," she repeated. He shook his head and smiled.

"Its fine don't worry about it. But, on the bright side I think I helped you clean up most of that water," he said turning to look at the floor. Fauna looked down and saw that he was right. His clothes seemed to pick up most of the water that only a few small puddles remained.

"You're right. Thank you for that," Fauna laughed.

Merlin bowed. "No problem. My backside is always there to help."

Fauna smiled at his response. "Funny. Go change out of those clothes. And hurry the tournament is to begin soon."

Merlin smiled and left to change his clothes. Once he left, seeing that only a few puddles remained, Fauna quickly looked around to see if anyone was watching. Seeing no one, Fauna's eyes quickly flashed gold as she made the water evaporate. She looked around to see if she left any evidence of magic.

"Nope, nothing. If anything it looks cleaner than before," she muttered to herself. She grabbed the buckets and went back to the kitchens to retrieve more water.

Unfortunately, upon reaching the kitchens the tournament was about to begin. While Martha glared at her for not cleaning the floors she was supposed to, she allowed Fauna and all the other maids to watch the prince compete.

She managed to arrive after Uther finished his speech. She saw the stands filled with cheering civilians ready to see their prince win. Fauna saw as Merlin stood behind a column watching as Arthur readied himself for the first match. She walked in his direction and once she was behind him, she spoke.

"Did I miss anything?" she asked. Merlin jumped and quickly turned to see Fauna giggling at his reaction.

"I guess I deserved that after this morning," he said. Fauna smiled. Merlin chuckled and they turned their attention to Arthur.

The tournament began as Arthur held his sword at the ready. In an instant his rival fought to gain the upper hand. Arthur was clearly the most experienced fighter as his opponent had trouble defending himself every time Arthur swung his sword.

The crowd cheered for their prince at every swing.

"Go Arthur!" Merlin yelled.

Arthur slightly gained the upper hand as he pushed his opponent. Unsteady, the rival swung missing his target. The rival almost got the upper hand as he swung his sword at Arthur's head. Arthur narrowly missed ducking under the blade. Then once again the two faced each other waiting for someone to swing their sword.

Arthur seeing his opponent becoming exhausted swung first. He swung the sword hard and fast not giving his opponent any chance to take a swing. Quickly seeing an opportunity, Arthur swung his elbow at his opponent's head causing it to fall off and the knight to fall to the floor in pain.

At the action, the crowd went wild at seeing their prince's victory.

"Yeah!" Merlin yelled. Fauna grinned, clapping along with the crowd.

Arthur took off his helmet and the crowd cheered at seeing their prince.

"One down," Fauna said glancing at Merlin.

"One down. More to go." he said meeting her gaze, "I better go help Arthur before his next tournament."

"Tell Arthur he fought a good fight," Fauna said.

"I will," Merlin smiled. As he walked away Fauna turned back to watch the next competitor, the knight Valiant.

Holding a yellow shield with three snakes in a circular formation, Valiant quickly swung at his opponent once he was ready. With many sharp and fast jabs, he quickly gained the upper hand on his rival. It wasn't long before Valiant managed to defeat his opponent. The crowd went wild at the sight of his swordsmanship.

The day went on with fight after fight. Arthur and Valiant were the top competitors. Each skilled with the sword, they easily defeated the competition. At the end of the day, they soon had many victories under their belt.

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><p>Upon the completion of the first day of the tournament, Fauna had to help with the reception that evening. After running around with the maids in the kitchens, she helped take the food to the dining room. There the knights, after greeting Uther and the Lady Morgana, would begin to feast. Martha ordered her and a few other maids to stay there serving the knights and the royal family.<p>

As Fauna served one of the knights, she saw from the corner of her eye as Merlin entered the dining area. He instantly went to Arthur's side and stood there holding a jug of mead. Upon finishing, she stood away from the knights holding a jug of mead making sure that the knight's cups never ran dry.

Seeing her standing by herself and seeing that Arthur had no use for him at the moment, Merlin walked and stood by Fauna's side.

"Enjoying yourself," he asked.

"Serving rowdy almost drunk men." she whispered to him, "This is my dream come true."

Merlin chuckled. He watched as Arthur talked to Morgana and noticed as Gwen stood by her side. Catching her glance, her gestured quietly for her to join them.

As Gwen reached the pair, Merlin introduced her to Fauna.

"Fauna this is Guinevere," Merlin said softly.

"Gwen," she said introducing herself to Fauna.

"Fauna, pleasure to meet you." Fauna said glancing at her.

Gwen smiled. "You too."

"So Gwen you've been here longer than the both of us. How long do these things last?" Merlin asked.

"Tired already?" Gwen joked.

"No, I just have a giant list of chores that I need to finish by tomorrow morning," Merlin muttered.

"For the tournament?" Fauna asked.

"Yeah. I have to fix his shield, clean his boots, and polish his armor and other things." he listed.

Fauna glanced at him sympathetically.

"Do you need any help?" she asked.

"No don't worry I can finish it." Merlin waved her off.

"Are you sure Merlin? I can polish the armor" Fauna offered. Before Merlin could refuse, he heard his name.

"Merlin," Arthur called. Unable to respond, Merlin moved back to Arthur's side to pour him more mead. Unfortunately, that was the last time the three were able to talk as Lady Morgana excused herself from the feast taking Gwen with her. Meanwhile, Fauna continued serving the knights.

By the time the feast was over, Fauna was helping clean up the remains. As Merlin left with Arthur, Fauna quickly stepped near him and whispered "I'll meet you in the armory tomorrow morning. I'll help you with his armor."

With that said, she headed to the kitchens leaving no room for argument. As she walked away, Merlin stared at her disbelievingly.

"Merlin. Let's go!" Arthur yelled, bringing him out of his frozen state. With that Merlin followed the prince out of the dining room leaving Fauna and the maids to finish cleaning the chambers.

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><p>The following morning, Fauna arrived at the castle early. She quickly made her way to the armory and was surprised to see it empty.<p>

"I guess I got here too early," she muttered to herself. She looked at the table with Prince Arthur's armor laying upon it and carefully lifted a piece. She saw that the armor was dull and would require arduous work.

"Great," she muttered. Placing it back on the table, she began looking around for a cloth when she heard a hiss. Fauna stopped at the sound. She looked for the source and found nothing. Shrugging it off, she searched for a cloth again when she heard another hiss.

Fauna looked around and followed the noise. As she neared the shields, she noticed Valiant's shield leaning against the wall.

"No, it can't be," she muttered. She reached out to touch the shield when instantly three snake heads shot out. She jumped, falling to the floor and began crawling away from the shield. Fauna stared at it wide eyed. The snakes seemed to sense her magic as they snapped their mouths in her direction. Instinctively, Fauna muttered a few words causing her eyes to flash gold. The snakes receded into the shield to their original formation.

"Oh no." Fauna muttered. Hastily, she got off the floor and dusted off her dress. Valiant was using magic, he was cheating to win the competition. It wasn't right and she needed to do something about it. But, looking at the shield, she didn't know what to do. She couldn't sneak it out, Valiant would notice his missing shield and it would raise alarm. And while, she had used magic, it would be risky to do it again. Merlin could walk in at any minute and to duplicate the shields would take time. She had her hands tied.

And she was right, because at that moment Merlin rushed in.

"I'm so sorry," he heaved. "Over slept."

Fauna moved away from the shield not wanting to bring attention to it.

"No worries. You arrived just in time. I was about to start." she said.

"Okay great. Thank you again for helping me," he said moving towards the table.

"No problem." Fauna said, "Let me grab a couple of cloths."

Merlin nodded. At his response, Fauna instantly moved towards the door eager to get away from the armory. She needed to figure out how to get that shield.

* * *

><p>As soon as she was gone, Merlin set to working on the armor fixing the little that he could. It was when he picked up a piece of armor that he froze in place. He had heard a hiss.<p>

"Hello?" Merlin called, "Is someone there?"

Hearing the hissing continue, he looked for the source of the sound. Curiously, he heard it come from the Valiant's shield. As he took a closer look at the shield, he swore he saw one of the snakes blink. Inching a finger towards the piece of armor, he was taken by surprise at suddenly feeling a sword pointed at his chest. He looked up to see Valiant holding the sword ready to strike.

Slowly, Merlin stood up making no sudden movements, Valiant, carefully, following him with the sword.

"Can I help you with something, boy?" Valiant asked staring at Merlin.

"Nope. I'm good." Merlin said inching towards the table, "I was…I was just gathering my master's armor."

"Then you best be on your way." Valiant said.

"Right. Yeah," Merlin responded nervously, gathering the equipment in his hands as quickly as he could. "No problem."

Walking towards the door, he stumbled dropping a few pieces of equipment. He righted himself as best as he could and walked out of the armory. At that instant, Fauna appeared with cloths in hand and a plan in mind.

"Merlin, what are you doing?" she asked confused as they met in the corridor.

"Change of plans," Merlin apologized, swiftly rushing past her. Fauna looked at his rapidly retreating figure before looking back towards the armory.

Thinking that this was an opportunity to grab the shield, she ran towards the armory. On arrival, she immediately looked for it and was startled to see that it was gone.

"Oh this is bad," Fauna muttered, "This is really bad."

* * *

><p>As the day prior, the tournament began at noon. The competing knights got ready for their matches with care and diligence. Unlike the day before, Merlin didn't have trouble with Arthur's armor. Having learned from his mistakes, he finally knew the proper way to put it on.<p>

"That was much better. Not that it could have got any worse," Arthur commented.

"I'm a fast learner," Merlin said

"I hope for your sake that's true."

"Good luck," Merlin stated. With that, Arthur left the room with Merlin following his lead.

When they arrived at the tournament, Merlin saw that Fauna was standing at the same place where they stood yesterday. As Arthur walked to the ring, Merlin walked in her direction.

Fauna busy in her thoughts, didn't notice as Merlin came to stand beside her. She was worriedly biting one of her thumbs, her gaze focused on Valiant.

"You alright?" Merlin asked softly.

"Hmm. Oh yeah I'm fine," she said leaning against the column. She kept her gaze on Valiant watching as he walked up to the other knights. Merlin was skeptical about her words, but he didn't question her further. He watched as Arthur waved to the roaring crowd.

"Is it my imagination or are you beginning to enjoy yourself?" Gaius asked, appearing at his side.

"It isn't totally horrible all the time," he said taking back his comments about how much he disliked his duties. Gaius nodded at the comment and then looked towards Fauna curiously. He looked towards Merlin for an introduction.

"Fauna," Merlin tapped her shoulder. She turned her attention to Merlin and Gaius.

"This is Gaius, the Court Physician" Merlin said.

Fauna smiled and held out a hand. "Pleasure to meet you."

Gaius smiled. "Likewise."

At the sounds of the public cheering and roaring, the three turned their attention to the ring where Arthur stood ready to fight. Both knights having had a restful night, fought with all their strength. They clashed swords repeatedly trying to hit each other. The rivial was no match for Arthur because within a few minutes he managed to disarm him, winning the duel.

Following Arthur, Valiant was next to compete. As he walked to the ring, Fauna kept her gaze on his shield looking for any movement. Knowing the power behind that shield, she worried what the outcome of the duel would be.

Valiant fought as hard as he had the day before, striking and swing his sword at any opportunity. While the previous competitors could not compare, his rival matched his skills. He met every one of Valiant's swings with an attack of his own. At this display of swordsmanship, Valiant saw a threat at his chance at victory. Rapidly, Valiant aimed an attack that threw his rival to the floor with a clang as his helmet rolled away. With only the shield for protection, the knight tried to defend himself from Valiant's attacks while Valiant held his shield against his competitors.

As Merlin had to attend to Arthur, he left Fauna standing by herself at the column as Gaius went to attend to some injured knights. From her position, she could see as a small rope-like creature came out of Valiant's shield and attacked his opponent. As quickly as it appeared, the snake disappeared leaving Valiant's rival slumped on the ground. She watched as Valiant proudly rose and gave the winning blow. The crowd gasped in shock as the knight remained unconscious on the floor.

"He's using the magic to cheat," Fauna muttered worriedly, looking for any sign from the knight that showed he was still alive. Gaius ran to the ring to attend to the fallen warrior. Unable to do anything for him in the field, Gaius had him taken to his chambers in order to care for him properly.

As the knights of Camelot carried the fallen knight past her, Fauna knew she had to get that shield fast before anyone else got hurt.

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><p><strong>So what do you guys think? Reviews please. All the reviews help me improve my writing. <strong>


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